BETHEL, Ohio — An extended no-wake zone will be in effect on William H. Harsha Lake at East Fork State Park starting Wednesday as the 2026 American Canoe Association Sprint National Championships bring paddlers from across the country to compete on the water.
Races will run daily from Wednesday, July 29, through Saturday, Aug. 1, beginning around 7:30 a.m. and continuing until roughly 6 p.m., though end times could shift if delays occur during the day, according to East Fork State Park.
The no-wake zone will cover a wide stretch of the lake, and the designated race area will be restricted to competitors and race officials only for the duration of the event, the park said. All eight boat ramps on the lake, including the ramp near the main dam, will remain open to the public throughout the week.
Boaters with questions can call the park office at 513-797-6081 or the state park office at 513-734-2730, according to East Fork State Park.
The championships mark the second time in recent years that Harsha Lake has hosted top-tier national paddling competition; the reservoir also served as a launch site for national championship racing in 2022. The 2,160-acre lake, built and once operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before it was leased to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, was named for former U.S. Rep. William H. Harsha, who championed the reservoir project. East Fork State Park spans more than 7,400 acres of land and water in Clermont County and includes a 33-mile perimeter trail along with camping, swimming and multiple boat launches.
The information contained in this story was obtained from East Fork State Park.